This invention relates to apparel worn by men and women. More particularly, this invention pertains to a system for supporting trousers and other lower body garments.
There is a wide range of human body shapes, resulting not only from genetic inheritance but also from differences in diet, illnesses, exercise, aging processes, accidental disfigurement, and other environmental factors. Clothing manufacturers make wearing apparel in standard combinations of dimensions and sizes, resulting in a lack of well-fitting clothing for a large contingent of the population having body proportions which do not conform to the proportions of the standard sizes.
Belts are commonly used by the general population for supporting trousers, pants, skirts and the like. The belt is tightened about the waist in a closed circle having a circumference smaller than the circumference of the hips below the belt. Suspenders are also used, either alone or in conjunction with a belt, to support the weight of the lower body garment from the wearer's shoulders. Some persons have a waist larger than the hips, making the use of belts impractical. Without additional support, the trousers or similar garment will tend to slip downward from the person's body, causing embarrassment and/or discomfort. Thus, mature men and women may find it difficult to wear jeans with dignity and comfort. For such persons, the use of conventional suspenders is less than satisfactory in several common situations. The length of the free suspenders makes them difficult to keep clean. For example, when the front attachments of the suspenders are unhooked from the lower body garment in order to use a urinal from a standing position, the free ends of the suspenders often slip backward over the person's shoulders. Having lost the support, the trousers and the long suspenders drop to the often unsanitary floor, becoming wet and soiled. Likewise, when using a toilet, the suspenders wearer often drops the suspenders onto the floor.
A person using suspenders to support trousers, and wearing a vest, jacket or other upper body garment over the suspenders, faces a further problem when using a toilet. The person must remove such garment or garments in order to rehitch the suspenders and trousers following toilet use.
Some persons have a body shape in which the hips are overexaggerated in size relative to the waist. While such persons may use suspenders and a "fuller" upper body garment to minimize the size difference, the above-named disadvantages remain.
For these and other reasons, persons with oversized or exaggerated proportions often resort to the almost exclusive use of coveralls with integral suspender straps.
The use of bullet-proof garments by police, security officers, the military and others is becoming more common. However, such garments are warmer than conventional clothing and restrict air circulation about the body, producing discomfort. The need exists for a system which enables the trousers to be suspended loosely while used with such security garments so as to increase the circulation of air for dissipation of heat and perspiration.
Persons such as military personnel who carry weapons or other heavy items suspended from the pants belt usually experience chafing of the pants against the hips and waist due to the excessive weight supported thereon. The need exists for a system to support the heavy items as well as the pants and belt from the person's shoulders, to increase freedom of movement, and permit air circulation in both the upper body and lower body garments. Such a system would find particular utility when conducting military operations in hot climates.